City of Guelph

Over 4 Days the @CityOfGuelph Delegation Accomplishes Much for Our City! #Guelph @CathyDowner @Ward6mark

Before you read the press release below, (which is a great highlight of what we accomplished over the past four days), I want to thank city staff for all they did in preparation, briefings, memos, relationship building with other provincial and federal staff and I could go on and on but seriously, our staff are just the best and what is accomplished here is because off their great work! Thank you Cathy, Barb, Colleen, Scott, Peter, Mark and Derrick! Thank you to Councillors Downer and Mackinnon for your presence as well! Our city is blessed to have such a great team working on behalf of our amazing citizens!

Cam

Guelph, Ont., August 17, 2016– Guelph’s Mayor Cam Guthrie and a delegation of Councillors and senior staff wrap up four days of meetings with Provincial leaders today, as they return from the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference that was held August 14 to 17 in Windsor.

In meetings with government cabinet ministers and the leaders of Ontario’s PC and NDP parties, the delegation advocated Guelph’s priorities relating to infrastructure, GO train service, energy, the sharing economy, and fostering a climate for business growth and job creation.

“Our delegation’s goal was to put Guelph’s priorities on the agenda of decision-makers at Queen’s Park – and we accomplished that,” said Mayor Guthrie. “It’s valuable to have face time with Provincial ministers to talk about issues like infrastructure, transportation, and the economy, because we need the Province at the table to move our city forward in all these areas.”

At the conference, Mayor Guthrie participated in the annual Large Urban Mayor’s Caucus of Ontario/ Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (LUMCO/MARCO) joint meeting, which was attended by Ontario’s Ministers of Municipal Affairs; Housing; and Infrastructure, as well as federal officials from Infrastructure Canada.

As a member of LUMCO, Mayor Guthrie led a discussion on a proposed joint provincial – municipal framework on the sharing economy, with the goal of balancing the need to maximize new economic opportunities and consumer choice with the need for appropriate regulation and protection of the public interest. Guelph proposes to lead the development of a framework in coordination with other interested municipalities, the provincial government, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, and the Guelph Lab, which is a partnership between the City and the University of Guelph. At the meeting, the Province committed to work together with municipalities on this file.

Mayor Guthrie also took part in a meeting of the Mayors of Southwest Ontario (MOSO), a group he Vice-Chairs, which featured a Ministers’ Forum with the Ministers of Municipal Affairs; Housing; Infrastructure; Transportation; and Economic Development and Growth. Topics of discussion included infrastructure, affordable housing, high-speed rail, job creation, and economic growth throughout southwesterm Ontario.

Members of the City of Guelph’s delegation included Mayor Cam Guthrie, Ward 5 Councillor Cathy Downer, Ward 6 Councillor Mark MacKinnon, and senior staff. During the conference, it was announced that Councillor Downer has been acclaimed to the AMO board of directors as a member of the Large Urban Caucus.Here is a list of meetings the Guelph delegation participated in during the conference:
Meeting with Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca to discuss two-way, all day GO service, together with the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo
City of Guelph delegation with the Minister of Infrastructure’s Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to discuss Guelph’s infrastructure needs and priorities

City of Guelph delegation with Minister of Energy Glenn Thibeault to discuss Guelph’s Community Energy Initiative update

City of Guelph delegations with Ontario NDP caucus and Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown to discuss infrastructure needs, the sharing economy, and creating a climate for business and job growth

LUMCO delegation meetings with Minister of Government and Consumer Services Marie Frances-Lalonde and the Parliamentary Assistant to Finance Minister Charles Sousa to discuss the sharing economy

AMO’s Annual General Meeting and conference took place August 14 to 17 in Windsor, Ontario. The conference brings together representatives from hundreds of municipalities and other organizations for education, information sharing, and delegation meetings with Ministers and provincial officials. Speakers at this year’s conference included the Premier of Ontario, several cabinet ministers, leaders of the Ontario PC and NDP parties, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. The program also included workshops, training opportunities, and a municipal trade show.

About the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)
AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments. AMO supports and enhances strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system.

About Mayors of Southwestern Ontario (MOSO)
MOSO represents the 11 largest urban centres in southwest Ontario. Mayor Guthrie is the Vice Chair of the group, which formed in January of 2016.

About Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO)
The Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) represents 67% of Ontario’s population with Mayors of 27 communities over 100,000 residents. LUMCO advocates for issues and policies important to Ontario’s largest cities.